Play figure

ABSTRACT

Described is a toy figure in the form of a golf player with a body consisting of a head, torso, arms and legs, whereby a recess is provided in the body, in which the arms, the connected hands of which have a receptacle for the golf club, is kept swivelable through actuation of a pin. In order to improve the function and the appearance of toy figure, it is so arranged that the recess defines a plane, which extends before the body downward and parallel to which the pin and the arms are arranged, as well as a disc, fixed in the recess and connected rotatably with the arms, is coupled with the pin.

The invention relates to a toy figure in the form of a golf player, with a body comprising of head, torso, arms and legs, on which a recess is provided, in which the arms, the hands connected with which have a golf club receptacle, are horizontally swivelable through actuation of a pin.

A toy figure of the kind mentioned above is known from the document DE 198 07 334 A1, in which the pin is guided through a vertical bore passing through the head and which engages into a connecting part of the arms for its swiveling with respect to the torso by means of a u-bent end. By actuating the press pin, a swiveling movement of the arm corresponding to the hitting movement of a golf club is supposed to take place.

From the viewpoint of the construction, it is disadvantageous that the transformation of the pressing movement into the swiveling movement of the arms, and consequently of the golf club, requires special additional measures. Further, it impairs the appearance of the toy FIG. 1 f there is a press pin penetrating through its head.

In the toy figure known from the document WO 92/14523, the downward movement of the press pin is translated into the swiveling movement of the golf club through combing of a toothed section of the pin by means of a pinion fixed on the golf club. Disadvantageous in this toy figure is that, here too, the press pin penetrates through the head of the toy figure and that, above all, the golf club cannot meet the golf ball, but moves aimlessly. The golf ball is rather housed in a chamber beside the club and is flung immediately from the pin to the chamber in synchrony with the movement of the club. The ball chamber is a component that is extraneous to the golf player and is therefore a disagreeable accessory in the toy figure.

Therefore, the task posed by the invention was to improve the function and the appearance of the abovementioned toy figure. According to the invention, the named toy figure is so arranged that the body is subdivided into two parts connected with each other by means of a segment running cross-wise with respect to its center line, whereby a section of the lower part is bent to the front side and downward,

the pin and the arms are guided parallel to the cross section, the club receptacle extends parallel to the section and the pin can be coupled with the arms. As a result, the pin can protrude backwards from the toy figure, does not impair its appearance and can be operated freely. Through the orientation of the pin, disk, arms and possibly of the golf club put on parallel to the plane of the section, the appearance of the toy figure is not impairs by the rest and it leads to a simple, direct and linear actuation of the arms with the golf club. The head of the toy figure does not primarily participate in the operation of the golf club. If the pin is uncoupled from the arms and is removed from the toy figure, the toy figure, if it is made from a heavy material like, for instance, a metal, it can be used as a paperweight or in other ways, for instance, as a decorative toy figure or for advertising purposes.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims. Thus, it turns out to be of advantage, if the body-sided end of the arm has a disc housed in the segment, which can be rotated in the segment parallel to the area of the segment and can be coupled with the pin. Further, it is useful, if the one-piece, formed by the head and the upper part of the torso, penetrates the disc centrically through a spigot, with which the lower part of the torso is connected firmly.

In general it is possible that the pin is firmly connected with the disc. A lateral movement of the pin results in that case directly to rotation of the disc, and hence to the hitting movement by the golf club connected to the arms, hitting the ready toy golf ball. On the other hand, it is especially advantageous, in the sense of the simplified actuation, if the pin is guided onto the section in a lengthwise displaceable manner, and the disc can turn, driven by the longitudinal movements of the pin with respect to the centerline of the pin. This transformation of the longitudinal movement of the pin into rotary movement of the disc can be realized in several ways. A simple option is that there is a frictional connection between the pin and the periphery of an axial disk appendage, for which purpose, the periphery of the appendage and/or the surface of the pin are provided with a material with high coefficient of friction. Another possible alternative is that the periphery of the projection is toothed and combs a toothed segment of the pin.

Finally, the appendage can be a pinion centric to the disc, which combs with the toothed segment of the pin. For a good guidance of the pin, it is commendable if an elevation consisting of several studs arranged on the periphery of the section, and with spacing distance along the peripheral direction, is provided, on which the pin is guided in longitudinally movable fashion, and between which the appendage or the pinion is arranged. In order to achieve that in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pin can be guided in three different directions along the disc, so as to enable rotation of the disc in one or the other direction, and enabling it thus to hit the toy golf ball to left or right, it is recommended further that the elevation consists of three studs arranged alternately at equal distances on the periphery of the area, each one of which has the cross section of a circular segment, whereby the plane, inner circle segment area of each stud serves as the lateral guide for the pin. If one of the studs is elevated from the rear segment of the section, the pin can be inserted laterally from left or right between the studs and the disc, so that the lateral to and fro movements of the pin can swing the arms accordingly.

For a toy figure that hits the toy golf ball in the manner described above, various designs have been attempted that prevent the ball from rolling out freely, so that it remains within the limited field of the play and does not roll uncontrollably beyond its boundaries. That is the reason why the tabletop soccer balls are given an angular geometric shape that brakes rolling out of the balls into the open field. However, an angular ball is not compatible with the real practice, which knows hitting only the round balls. As a result, according to the invention, an improved toy golf ball, distinguishes itself by the fact that it is comprised of a hollow ball made of plastic, which is filled in part with a pourable mass, for example, sand. In any case, the mass should have a higher specific weight with respect to the plastic material of the ball and should preferably fill only up to about 70% of the hollow volume of the ball. The higher the specific weight of the mass, the lower can be filling ratio of the ball.

In the following, the invention is described in detail with the help of the demonstrative embodiment shown in the attached drawing. Shown in the drawings are:

FIG. 1: A schematic side view of a toy figure provided with the features according to the invention in the form of a golf player with golf club and operating hand;

FIG. 2: A front view of the golf player of FIG. 1 with the toy golf ball;

FIG. 3: A schematic enlarged top view of a cross section along the line A-A through the golf player in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4: An axial section through the toy golf ball according to FIG. 2.

The toy figure, indicated as a whole by 1, furnished from metal, wood or plastic, consists of a head 2, torso 3, arms 4 and 5 and the two legs 6, 7. The connected hands of the arms 4, 5 lead into a box-shaped club receptacle 8 for the shaft 9 of the toy golf club, indicated as a whole by 10. The arms 4, 5 are u-bent outward at the elbows, as is typical in the game of golf, and the legs 6, 7 stand spread wide apart, on enlarged feet, for a steady stand on the ground.

The torso 3 is comprised of a large lower part 12, and a smaller upper part 14, connected with the head 2, which can be looked at as a type of shoulder part. The lower part 12 is connected with the upper part 14 only by means of a spigot 16, visible in part in FIG. 3, whose head is anchored firmly in the upper part 14 and is screwed by means of a screw thread part into a corresponding internal screw thread in the lower part 12 in such a way that the upper part 14 is connected undisplaceably with the head 2 at the lower part 12 by means of the spigot 16, whereby a prespecified distance (segment) remains between the upper part 14 and the lower part 12. In particular, a distance is kept between the plane area of the upper part 14 pointing to the lower part 12 and the practically similar plane section 18 of the lower part 12, which allows an essentially circular disk 20 is initially freely rotatable about the spigot 16 that penetrates it centrically and, in particular, on and parallel to the section 18. The section 18 lies crosswise with respect to the centerline of the torso 11 and is inclined toward the front and downward.

The body-sided ends of the arms 4, 5 are shaped at the disc 20 on periphery sides, lying practically opposite to each other, so that a rotation of the disc 20 brings about a swiveling movement of the arms 4, 5 about the studs 16. As FIG. 1 shows, the arms 4, 5 extend parallel to the section area 18. The golf club receptacle 8 has slide-in jack open below, into which the shaft 9 of the golf club 10 can be so slipped in that the shaft 9 also extends parallel to the section 18. Therefore, the disc 20, the arms 4, 5 and the shaft 9 extend within a designed plane 25 or extend parallel to it. One can recognize that a twist of the disk 20 about the spigot 16 in clockwise or anticlockwise sense brings about the corresponding clockwise and anticlockwise hitting movement of the golf club 10.

In an especially simple embodiment of the invention, not displayed here, the rotation of the disc 20 in one or the other aforementioned direction can be achieved simply by hand, in that at the rear peripheral segment of the disc 20, an operating handle is firmly built, which also extends in the plane 25 or parallel to the section 18, upwards toward the rear with respect to the toy FIG. 1. A to and from movement of the operating handle parallel to the section 18 leads directly to the corresponding movement of the golf club 10.

Considering the circumstance that the hitting movement of the golf club 10 must be executed as fast as possible in order to transport the hit toy golf ball 30 across to a distance as farther as possible, in the presented embodiment of the invention, a gear mechanism 24 is switched between the operating handle 22 and the disc 20, which causes a fast rotation of the disc 20 proportionate to the longitudinal movement of the operating handle. In particular, in the displayed embodiment of the invention, a pinion 23 is arranged on the bottom side of the disc 20, whose external teeth comb with longitudinal teeth arranged on the bottom free end segment 21 of the operating handle. The pinion 23 has a bore at the center for penetration of the spigot 16. With that, the translatory downward movement, longitudinal to the sectional area 18 of the operating handle 22, is transformed into a rapid rotation of the pinion 23 and thus of the disc 20, so that the translatory movement of the operating handle 22 is transformed into a rotating movement of the disc 20 with a higher speed.

In an alternative embodiment, the section 21 can also be provided with a coating with a higher coefficient of friction, and instead of the peripheral teeth, the pinion 23 can be equipped with a rubber lining, so that due to the frictional connection taking place between the segment 21 and the periphery of the pinion 23, the translatory movement of the operating handle 22 is also transformed into a correspondingly transformed rotating movement of the disc 20.

As FIG. 3 in particular shows, three studs 26, 27, 28 project from the section 18 at its border, in the direction of the upper part 14, whereby the cross section of each of these studs has the form of a circular segment. The studs 26, 27, 28 are arranged on the periphery of the section 18 with the same mutual distance and leave an opening 33, 35, 37 free between each of them, through which the segment 21 can penetrate in three different directions parallel to the section 18 25, into the space surrounding the studs 26, 27, 28. Thereby the plane, inner surface of the respective studs serves the purpose as a lateral support for the segment 21, so that it remains in a reliable grip with the pinion 23. As it can be seen in FIG. 3, the pin 22 can be pulled out upwards or (in case of horizontally inserted pin 22) laterally from the toy FIG. 1. The distance provided between the upper part 14 and the lower part 12 is selected such that the studs 26, 27, 28, and on them the disc 20, is located between the part 12, 14, and the pinion 23 plunges into the gap between the studs.

If the operating handle 22 as in FIGS. 1 and 3 is pressed downward, the pinion 23, and therefore the disc 20, rotate anticlockwise. Between the adjacent vertical members 26 and 28 remains the gap 37, through which the segment 29 of the operating handle 22, adjusted accordingly, is inserted and can be brought into contact with the pinion 23. Pressing the operating handle 22 inward into a position corresponding to the toothed section 29 leads to a clockwise revolution of the pinion 23. Finally, a section 31 of the operating pin 22 can also be inserted horizontally through the opening 33 between the studs 26 and 27 and the opposite opening 37 between the vertical members 26 and 28 into the space bordering the three studs and brought into contact with the pinion 23. The operating handle 22 is then moved to and fro to the gear mechanism of the pinion 23, which leads to a rotation movement of the pinion 23 in the corresponding direction of rotation.

The height, with which the studs 26, 27, 28 project from the section 18, is the same in each case and can be dimensioned in such a fashion that the disc 20 lies in easily rotatable fashion in the plane of the surfaces of the three studs and the pinion 23 is located within the space bordering the three studs. The bottom area of the upper part 14 thus retains a play for the disc 20.

It is obvious, as FIG. 2 shows, that the free bottom ends the sections 21, 29, 31 can protrude from the breast of the toy FIG. 1 under the disc 20, if the operating handle 22 is pressed correspondingly farther downwards. The operating handle 22 has a finger eyelet 19 on its end opposite to the toothed section, in which, for instance, the front part of the index finger can easily be inserted in order to push the operating handle 22 not only inwards to the downside but also from downside to outwards, whereby the thumbs and middle finger encircle and secure the torso 12.

Finally, FIG. 4 shows an axial cross section through the toy golf ball 30, which can be hit sideways by the golf club 10, if the operating handle 22 is actuated correspondingly. The toy golf ball 30 is comprised of a hollow ball made from plastic, which can, for example, be transparent, and is indicated by the reference symbol 32. The hollow ball 32 is filled with a pourable mass 34, which has a significantly higher specific weight compared to that of the material from which the cover of the hollow ball 32 is made. At any rate, this mass can be pourable by means of sand or metal powder or in some other way. The filling degree of the hollow ball 32 can, as it can be seen in FIG. 4, be up to about 70%, or as in case of balls with a lighter mass, even 50%. If the hollow ball 32 is filled with pourable dry sand, filling degree of about 50% to 70% is recommended. Consequently, this toy golf ball 30 according to the invention has the feature that a free run out of the toy golf ball 30 is severely braked, so that an uncontrolled excursion of the ball outside the field for the play is forestalled. 

1. Toy figure in the form of a golf player (1) with body consisting of head (2), torso (3), arms (4, 5) and legs (6, 7), in which a recess is provided, in which the arms (4,5), whose connected hand are provided with golf club receptacle (8), is kept swivelable, characterized in that in the gap a section (18) is provided, which extends from the body downward, and parallel to which the arms (4, 5), the golf ball receptacle (8) as well as a disc (20), fixed in the recess and connected with the arms on the body-side, is arranged rotatably.
 2. Toy figure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the disc (20) can be coupled with an operating handle (22) that is movable parallel to the section (18).
 3. Toy figure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the head (2) and an upper part (14) of the torso (3) forming one part with the head, is connected firmly, through a spigot (16), which penetrates the disc (20) centrically, with the lower part (12) of the torso at a prespecified distance.
 4. Toy figure according to claim 2, characterized in that several studs (26, 27, 28) protrude from the area (18), on which the disc (2) can rotate easily.
 5. Toy figure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pin (22) is connected firmly with the disc (20)
 6. Toy figure according to claim 1, characterized in that the pin (22) is guided on the torso (3) in a longitudinally displaceable manner and the disc (20) is driven by a gear mechanism through the longitudinal movement of the pin.
 7. Toy figure according to claim 6, characterized in that, between the pin (22) and the periphery of the disc, there is frictional connection.
 8. Toy figure according to claim 6, characterized in that, the periphery of the wheel is toothed and combs a toothed segment (21, 29, 31) of the pin (22).
 9. Toy figure according to claim 6, characterized in that, the disc (20) is comprised of a pinion (23), which combs a toothed segment (21, 29, 31) of the pin.
 10. Toy figure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pin is guided to the stud in longitudinally displaceable manner.
 11. Toy figure according to claim 1, characterized in that, the pin (22) can be guided along three different directions on the disc (20).
 12. Toy figure according to claim 4, characterized in that, each stud (26, 27, 28) has a cross section of a circular segment, whereby the plane circular segment area of each stud serves as a lateral guide for the pin (22).
 13. Toy golf ball especially for use with a toy figure according to claim 1, consisting of a hollow ball (32) of plastic, which is filled partially with a pourable mass (34).
 14. Ball according to claim 13, characterized in that, the mass (34) has a higher specific weight compared to the plastic material (32) of the ball.
 15. Ball according to claim 14, characterized in that, the mass consists of sand, metal or plastic powder. 